By Ademola Adekusibe
30th November 2025
Twelve girls abducted by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Mussa District of Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State have been rescued by troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), in what security sources describe as one of the most coordinated search-and-rescue efforts in the southern Borno axis in recent weeks.
The girls, all between the ages of 15 and 20, were kidnapped on November 23 while harvesting crops on family farmlands located along the fringes of the district. The abduction sparked widespread panic in Mussa and neighbouring villages, forcing several families to abandon their homes and flee to safer locations as rumours of possible follow-up attacks spread rapidly.
Military sources told Zagazola Makama that the rescued victims include Fatima Shaibu (17), Fatima Umaru (15), Hauwa Abubakar (18), Saliha Muhammed (15), Sadiya Umaru (17), Amira Babel (15), Zara Adamu (17), Nana Shaibu (15), Zainab Musa (18), Zainab Muhammed (17), Jamila Saidu (15), and Hauwa Hamidu (17). The girls were said to have been held in small, scattered hideouts used by ISWAP cells operating around the Mandara Mountain corridor.
Security operatives confirmed that the rescue operation was conducted following days of intensified clearance missions targeting ISWAP remnants responsible for recurring attacks and abductions around Askira/Uba, Chibok, and Gwoza. The operation, which combined ground troops with intelligence-driven reconnaissance, reportedly forced several militants to abandon their positions, leaving the captives behind.
The victims have since been relocated to a secure military facility for medical examination, counselling, and profiling. According to military sources, the girls will be reunited with their families once authorities conclude standard debriefing procedures and assess their psychological condition.
For many residents of Mussa District, the rescue marks a rare moment of relief after a tense and emotionally draining week. Parents of the abducted girls said the incident left the entire community paralysed with fear, as memories of past abductions, many ending in prolonged captivity, resurfaced. Several families described the news as a “major emotional breakthrough,” praising the troops for what they called a “timely intervention” that prevented a potentially prolonged ordeal.
The rescue also comes at a time when the military is increasing pressure on ISWAP fighters still active in pockets of southern Borno, as part of broader efforts to dismantle the group’s operating cells before the end of the year.
